Pivk & Orguè the King and Queen of the World Series...

Bonnet makes history in the Limone Extreme

Tadei Pivk makes Skyrunning history, and so does Remi Bonnet. The Friuli athlete from Team Crazy Idea/La Sportiva is the first Italian to win the Skyrunning world championship, while the twenty year old Swiss phenomenon of Team Salomon International surprised everyone with his epic double win: the Vertical Kilometer Friday evening and today's Skyrace. He triumphed in the 23.5 km race with a total vertical climb of 2,400 meters. Olympic long-distance athlete Laura Orguè (Team Salomon International)also won the race and title in the women's category.

It was a stellar cast in this race of all races worth an entire season. Almost 800 athletes from 39 different countries met in the Upper Garda region to decree the 2015 champions. Based on the rankings, 4 men and 4 women were vying for the title. Ordaining the strongest athletes was a completely new course redesigned in record time by race director Fabio Meraldi and his staff after the heavy rains and snow in the mountains that made part of the original itinerary impossible. The alternative race was paradoxically even more beautiful and spectacular, with a length of 23,5 km and a vertical climb of 2,400 meters. The race was enhanced by the upper part of the Mughéra VK, which was run in daylight today.

The race began and after 4 km Remi Bonnet from Switzerland tried to impose the law of the strongest. The young winner of the World Series Vertical Kilometer took the lead and was followed by the Basque athlete Artiz Egea and Norway's Stian Hovind. On Larici Peak, Italy's Tadei Pivk picked up his pace and took his place among the race leathers together with Italian athlete Luca Cagnati and Ionut Zinca of Romania. In the women's category, Laura Orguè was followed close behind by Megan Kimmel, Maite Maiora and Oihana Kortaza, who quickly left the other female athletes behind them. An unexpected twist occurred on Mughéra Peak. At the end of the second ascent, World Cup leader Tadei Pivk moved up another position and ended up right behind the young Bonnet, who had a 5' lead. All eyes were pointed on Spain's Manuel Merillas, who was fourth behind Aritz Egea, who kept his direct adversary in his crosshairs for the final success. In the women's race, Laura Orguè led Maite Maiora, Megane Kimmel and Elisa Desco.

The final steep descent towards Limone did not change the cards on the table. Remi Bonnet won the race (the only athlete to win both the vertical kilometer and the skyrunning event) in 2h45'25". Taking second place and the 2015 title was Italy's Tadei Pivk, with 2h51’08”. The bronze medal for the race and second place in the ranking went to Spain's Manuel Merillas, with 2h52’52”. In the women's category, it was a great test of strength for Orguè, who came in first with 3h18’50”. Second place went to Maite Maiora (Team La Sportiva) with 3h19’07”and third place went to another Salomon athlete Ohianna Kortazar, with 3h22’24”.

10K

Among the new entries in 2015 was the technical 10k, a true concentrate of Skyrunning dedicated to up-and-coming athletes and neophytes in the category. Around one hundred athletes, including a good number of foreigners, competed in the event. Young Trentino athlete Marco Filosi won the race with an excellent time of 51'04". Second place went to Slovakian Jost Lapajne, with 51'25". Third place went to Paolo Poli from Bergamo, with 53'21". Davi Thoeni and Andrea Prandi from Italy were runners-up. In the women's category, France came out on top with a hint of alpine skiing, with "Madame Bon Mardion" Elise Rouchy, with 1h06'01". Taking second place on the podium was young Italian Ski Alp athlete Giulia Compagnoni, with 1h07'33, and Anna Streitberger with 1h15'02".